More genes than previously thought linked to MS!

A new discovery that came from a research aimed at finding out what role genes play in MS has now identified an additional 29 genes adding to a total of 57 genetic clues for MS.

However, it is still emphasized that genes play only a part in MS risk. Other factors, such as vitamin D levels and viral exposure are also believed to play a role. We know that the further somebody is from the equator, the higher his/her risk is (vitamin D from sunlight may be a factor).

The authors explained that T-cells and interleukins appear to play a major role in the development of MS. (…)

Co-author, Alastair Compston, from Cambridge University, said:

“We have implicated genes that are highly relevant to the actions of those drugs. It is now clear that multiple sclerosis is primarily an immunological disease. This is the way to nail this disease and get on top of it.”

(Source: Medical News Today August 10th 2011.)

Cost of Medicine vs. Quality of Life for MSers.

Yes please – reduce the cost of MS drugs!

in this article published July 21st by MEdical News Today (see link to the right) a study has been made whereby the cost of medication used to treat MS and the quality of life that ensues from the use of the medicine is measured.

(not surprisingly) it has been concluded that the cost of MS medicines is among the highest in the world (for medicine) - basically that “the health gains from these drugs come at a very high cost compared to basic therapy to control the symptoms of MS and compared to treatments for other chronic diseases.”

You can find the whole article under the previously mentioned link to the right. So what ya say we get the cost of MS medicines reduced and improve our quality of life!!

Cladribine – adios…

Unfortunately, today it was announced that Merck will no longer seek approval for the MS pill Cladribine due to the fact that regulators requested new clinical trials…

What does this mean? they won’t do the clinical trials required by the FDA & EMA as it will take them years before they finish these… but of course, we all know that this would imply a significant additional cost to the drug itself.

So what does this mean (besides the fact that we’re just money-making victims of a system selfishly and unfairly focused on the bottom line) ? Well, that we’re (unfortunately?) left with only one option for MS pill-treatment for the time being : Gilenya. And not only that, but apparently, this pill isn’t as efficient as ie. Tysabri, from what I heard from my doctors.

All those clinical trials gone to waste…? shame, we won’t have another pill option for the time being, but we can only hope that one day they decide to resume approval/trial and/or use their knowledge to develop an even better pill..;)

 

You can find the (more financial) report here on Bloomberg: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-22/merck-kgaa-shares-slide-after-decision-not-to-seek-approval-for-ms-pill.html

Stem Cells hope for (aggressive) MS…

Ok..I know I haven’t been here for ages…and that this article is a bit “outdated” in the sense that it came out in March but I still consider it of high importance which is why I bring it up here.

The article published on March 23rd 2011 (Medical News Today -see link to the right) talked about how stem cells may help people with aggressive forms of MS by “replacing deliberately destroyed bone marrow with the patient’s own stem cells”.

What is basically done in this treatment is that the patient’s own stem cells are take out, then “cleaned” through a course of chemotherapy and placed back into the patient. These “purified stem cells are thought to “reboot” the immune system”!!

The results seen were really great and now further tests need to be done.

To read more please click here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219889.php

stay cool!

Acrolein & MS

Purdue researchers have found evidence that an environmental pollutant may play an important role in causing MS and that a hypertension drug might be used to treat the disease. The research results represent the first concrete laboratory evidence for a link between acrolein and MS.

The compound is an environmental toxin found in air pollutants including tobacco smoke and auto exhaust. Acrolein also is produced within the body after nerve cells are damaged. Previous studies by the research team found that neuronal death caused by acrolein can be prevented by administering the drug hydralazine, an FDA-approved medication used to treat hypertension.

The new findings show that hydralazine also delays onset of MS in mice and reduces the severity of symptoms by neutralizing acrolein.

The researchers also learned the specific chemical signature of the drug that binds to acrolein and neutralizes it, potentially making it possible to create synthetic alternatives with reduced side effects. In MS, the myelin insulation surrounding nerve cells is destroyed and the nerve fibers themselves are damaged. Researchers of this study believe that acrolein is what degrades myelin and hope to be able to block that effect and thus delay the onset of MS and lessen the symptoms.

This is the first evidence that acrolein acts as a neurotoxin in MS and also the first time anyone has demonstrated hydralazine to be a neuroprotective drug. Other researchers had previously shown that acrolein damages liver cells and that the damage can be alleviated by hydralazine, leading the Purdue researchers to study its possible effects on spinal cord tissues.

< I’ve been absent for a while albeit following news… and made up my mind to post everything I had found interesting over the past months that I unfortunately didn’t have the time to post immediately…so please bear with me if some news aren’t “news” anymore… but I’ve simply decided to post them as I believe they are interesting to know… Therefore, for the full text visit Medical News Today (on the right) article dates back to November 24th 2010.. >

Sun, sunlight, sunshine, heat & MS….

How many times have we heard that “the sun is not good for MSers…”, “people with MS lack sufficient vitamin D” and so on…

Now what do you think/feel when you read one article titled:

- Warm weather may hurt thinking skills in people with MS (Medical News Today February 18th.2011)

- and another one titled: How sunlight may reduce the severity of Multiple Sclerosis (same source, date: March 4th 2011).

You probably think “boy, let me be slower and stupid for the sake of reducing the severity of my MS”??? lol..hope not! but it does confuse the reader doesn’t it..? For me in particular, too much sun exposure doesn’t do any good, I’m feeling much slower, drowsy and what not on super-sunny super-hot days..so I don’t see how the “severity” of my MS is possibly reduced by the sunlight…but maybe one should take just a biiiiiit of sun a day..or week…and not too much in order to reduce the severity of the disease..?

I think what I might just wanna add here is…. increase your vitamin D3 intake!! (foods, vitamins…maybe sun if it works for ya;)

keep shining!!:):)

(for the source go under “links” – Medical News Today)

‘MS’ Blocked in Mice – new hopes raised..?!?!

Just a quick note.

I hope this one will reach you in good spirit and raise it even higher;)

It is an article published in Medical News Today, on March 8th that talks about an MS-like disease’s harmful cells being blocked in mice from entering the brain:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/218441.php

A good start…now we need more great results…and a real MS;)

cheers!!

Quick update on Tysabri & PML!

and how we’re “only money making machines”..hm….

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/11/healthcare-biogen-idUSN1115355120110111

 

ps. sorry for not being able to write more..I have a whoooole bunch of updates I want to write about but I’ve been super busy with my new job and don’t have time.. I will however do it asap!!

best to ya all and take care!!!

More stem cells hope for MS patients!!

Guys, I just came across this and it sounds very promising…and I truly hope that people are realizing more and more the importance of stem cell research:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/210377.php or:

http://www.ealingtimes.co.uk/uk_national_news/8720885.Stem_cells_hope_for_MS_sufferers/

Microglia – why we need embryonic stem cells research…

I am hereby posting a link to a very interesting article published on Medical News Today on October 25th 2010..

I believe it to be interesting as this particular research may pave a way for being able to prevent MS before we’re even born….

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205648.php

Hopefully you’ll find it as interesting as I have : )

Cheers!

Ocrelizumab – reduces MS disease activity

As taken from the Medical News Today (Oct. 20.2010) website:

Ocrelizumab is an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody designed to selectively target CD20-positive B-cells, which are believed to play a critical role in multiple sclerosis (MS). It then interacts with the body’s immune system to eliminate CD20-positive B-cells.

Simply put, Ocrelizumab has demonstrated, through trials (they refer to phase II in particular), that there is a significant reduction in disease activity in patients with MS…as measured by brain lesions and relapse rate.

In fact, the reductions were impressive: the total reductions in the number of brain lesions detected by MRI scanning was 96% for 2000mg Ocrelizumab and 89% for 600mg Ocrelizumab (compared to placebo). Disease activity was also reduced significantly…

For more info on Ocrelizumab please visit the Medical News Today link (you can find under “links”).

Disease activity was also measured by reduction in annualized relapse rate (ARR), the rate of attacks or flare-ups per patient-year. At week 24, ARR was significantly lowered versus placebo with a reduction of 73% for ocrelizumab 2000mg and 80% for ocrelizumab 600mgii.

 

Fingolimod approved!

…and so just a follow up on my previoud posts…

Fingolimod (Gilenya) has finally been approved by the FDA. Gilenya (fingolimod) is a 0.5 mg (capsule) daily oral treatment for relapsing MS.

Novartis, stated that Gilenya is the first oral medication indicated for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States – it reduces the frequency of MS flare-up, as well as helping slow down the build-up of some of the physical problems associated with MS.

Yeay! more oral drugs – we like! : )

Oral Laquinimod for MS!

I’d like to mention briefly Laquinimod here..

Laquinimod is an investigational, novel, once-daily oral immunomodulator. It was developed as a disease-modifying treatment for RRMS and is nearing end of trial phase. It is expected to be completed by Q3 next year!

Besides being tested for the treatment of RRMS, it is in development for Crohn’s disease and Lupus, and is being researched for other autoimmune diseases as well!

On September 21st, Medical News Today reported that, thus far, Laquinimod has demonstrated a sustained positive benefit-risk profile through the trials undertaken. Doctors are looking forward to confirming these in the final study phases next year.

We have one more oral drug for MS to look forward to!! : )

Umbilical cord blood cells transplant might help MS..?

This is an “old” article (08.July.2010) but I thought it would be a very interesting read..at least it was for me… and I did not want to simply rewrite it risking a potential misunderstanding or confusion among readers..instead I suggest you just click on the link and enjoy the read ; )

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/194129.php

Tysabri doctor check up…

So I had my doctor’s appointment the other day…among other things we discussed CCSVI of course.. as it is on my mind, ‘thankfully’ due to all the presence in the media..

Not surprisingly my doctor was apprehensive towards CCSVI in relation to MS.. In fact, even though she is interested and believes in encouraging further research in the field, she said something interesting.. at least interesting to me, as I haven’t heard/read it before. or maybe I have just that my brain has deliberately ingored it? whatever the case I thought it might be interesting to others as well so I’m writing it here.

Being a neurological disease, it does not come as a surprise that there might be a chance of having CCSVI (and “might be”.. ‘cuz not all MSers have it). What’s more… it is thus also present in other neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s. Now, this I don’t remember having read.. I have the impression that most media concentrated on CCSVI and MS..or is it just me?

She of course encouraged me to read thoroughly on the topic from only “reliable sources” such as the various MS organizations..before I decided what to do…but still, at this point, disencouraged further action..

Keep it cool; )

To CCSVI or not to CCSVI… that is the question.

We’ve all heard about CCSVI… and have our hopes high that these claims will be confirmed soon…while some are already undergoing necessary treatments others question the research and raise an alert tone…

Many still question what Zamboni claims… one can’t but wonder if his claims are indeed 100% correct or if the various critics should be paid attention to before undergoing this “risky” procedure…(and note the use of quotation marks..)

I’d really love to do it if it is proved through more trials that it indeed works.. until then I can only hope that those of you considering to undergo this procedure have had all the necessary information about it ; )

…so here is what Medical News Today reported on August 3rd:

CCSVI questioned

and another article on this too: more questions

Antihypertensive seems to help MS!

I have just started on a new job so I have been absent for some time but nonetheless I keep track of the important findings in the MS field and report these here.. ; )

On July 29th Medical News Today reported that an antihypertensive drug might be beneficial to patients with MS. This is great news as it is yet another discovery about a drug that already exists for the treatment of other conditions (in this case high blood pressure) but can benefit MS as well…

In fact, researchers found out that this antihypertensive drug could actually keep inflammation in MS under control…:

“The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.”

That is, the drugs that block the angiotensin receptors (AT1R blockers) are prescribed to millions of people to lower high blood pressure. The AT1R blockers have now also been found on various organs and cells that have nothing to do with regulating blood pressure, such as the T cells of our immune system. These are the immune cells involved in autoimmune reactions and chronic-inflammatory diseases (ie. MS).

Now… all they have to do is test these drugs on people with MS to confirm the findings… yay ; )

Living in a “cleaner society” might have caused your MS?

Medical News Today (July 20th 2010):

Scientists seem to have discovered a link between gut bacteria and MS.

They claim that microorganisms seem to play some role in the cause of MS, which remains still unknown. The researchers started from the following proposition and based on literature on bacteria & MS:

“As we live cleaner, we’re not just changing our exposure to infectious agents, but we’re changing our relationship with the entire microbial world, both around and inside us, and we may be altering the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory bacteria,” leading to diseases like MS, Mazmanian says.

As they gained an appreciation for how profoundly the gut microbiota can affect the immune system, they then decided to question if symbiotic bacteria are the missing variable in the mice with MS they were researching on. They claim that there is a clear connection between gut microbes and MS, and that dysbiosis (the dysregulation of normal gut bacterial populations) may be the explanation for the rising rate of MS seen in recent years in more hygienic societies. (!)

“Bacteria will kill you” huh? hmmm…maybe it was better for us MSers to be “dirtier”/unhygienic…? wonder what happens if we start now.. be unhygienic… find it difficult to believe as it is exactly what my nurse discouraged…”be as hygienic as possible sweetie, you don’t want something extra to get you”, she said. Oh well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what they find out from further research.

Protein able to abolish recurring relapses in MS…

From Medical News Today (article dated: 07.07.2010)

Compugen Ltd. announced that (in an animal model of MS) a protein has shown to be able to completely abolish recurring relapses in MS.

In fact, CGEN-15001 has also demonstrated that its administration prior to disease onset delays disease onset and significantly decreases disease symptoms.

The results of this study and those of earlier studies, strongly support the significant potential therapeutic use of CGEN-15001 for the treatment of MS, as well as other autoimmune diseases.

Cancer drug & MS

An article published July 2nd, on the Medical News Today website reports on yet another cancer drug that shows promise for the treatment of a wide range of inflammatory diseases, among them MS:

Those looking for a new treatment for a range of inflammatory diseases like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lupus may need to look no further than a drug already available for treating cancer.

In fact, Japanese scientists used mice to show that bortezomib, which is currently used to treat cancers that affect white blood cells, induces cell death only in harmful T cells (active and proliferating ones), thus leaving the rest unharmed. What is interesting about bortezomib, proven its efficiency on humans, is that it would not have the side effects that current drugs have (which affect all T cells equally).

CCSVI clinical trials to start!

It has been almost a year since CCSVI was first mentioned…and it has now been finally announced that clinical trials will start . On July 1st Medical News Today announced that:

Buffalo medical researchers led by a team from the University at Buffalo Department of Neurosurgery, will embark on a landmark prospective randomized double-blinded study to test the safety and efficacy of interventional endovascular therapy – dubbed “liberation treatment” – on the symptoms and progression of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

This is the news we’ve all been waiting to hear – hopefully clinical trials will determine if CCSVI intervention is helpful for the treatment of MS and open the possibility for people around the world to undergo this treatment.

Sativex – approved!

I mentioned in a post in March this year that Sativex was to be approved in Q2 2010 – and so it happened! : )

Medical News Today (22/06/2010) has reported that “the first symptom relief drug specifically for people withmultiple sclerosis (MS) has been licensed by the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).“

Sativex can be prescribed by MS specialists and it should be taken as part of a multi-disciplinary symptom management programme, which includes regular physiotherapy and assessments by occupational therapists.

As previously mentioned Sativex is an oral spray made from cannabis extract and serves to help alleviate MS symptoms of spasticity.

However, it is believed that the treatment is only effective in about 40% of people who take it. This, fortunately, becomes clear within a matter of weeks if it is not working.

Gilenia – another oral drug coming out…??

I just read that Novartis has received the FDA “go ahead” to introduce the first oral drug for MS and that it is expected to be approved as soon as September this year…?!?!?! : )

As I previously wrote here on the blog, oral drugs for MS are a really great thing for us MS sufferers and are on the “rise”… let’s face it.. everybody gets sick and tired of all the needles etc..

So yeah, this sounds like a great thing, and it seems that we will have many pills to choose from for treating our MS! ; )

See the links below for more info:

http://preview.bloomberg.com/news/2010-06-10/novartis-pill-for-multiple-sclerosis-can-be-used-safely-fda-panel-decides.html

http://www.newsy.com/videos/first-oral-pill-designed-to-treat-multiple-sclerosis/

Pregnancy -> MS in remission..

Finally, a discovery about the relation of pregnancy and remission in MS…

Today’s article on Medical News Today (see under “Links”) describes how researches discovered a biological mechanism responsible for changes in the immune system which helps explain the remission that pregnant women with MS go through.

According to researchers, the expression of an enzyme known as pyruvate kinase is reduced in immune cells in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant women. The study is significant because the newly discovered mechanism points to a pathway that could be targeted for treatment. Indeed, researchers said that “it may be possible to design drugs that mildly suppress pyruvate kinase activity as a means of replicating the immune status of normal pregnancy”.

For more information on the research visit the Medical News Today link to the right ; )

A simple eye test to asses the damage caused by MS..

Article dated 08 Jun 2010 (Medical News Today – see link)

Researchers found that a quick, painless eye measurement shows promise as a way to diagnose MS in its very early stages, and to even track the effectiveness of treatments…:

Dr. Elliot Frohman said that ”this technique has the potential to provide a powerful and reliable assessment strategy to measure structural changes in the central nervous system, both for diagnostic purposes and in clinical trials to monitor whether potential treatments can prevent deterioration or restore nerve function“.

The technique, called optical coherence tomography (OCT), reliably measures thinning of the retina in people with multiple sclerosis, the researchers found.

“An ophthalmologist might someday be able to use OCT to identify retinal thinning during a routine eye exam and consider MS as a prime diagnosis,” Dr. Frohman said.

The research highlights how retinal thinning can occur as a result of MS. The researchers found that the retinas thinned significantly with time, and patients often concurrently lost visual sharpness. Overall, the study indicated that OCT is reliable, easy to use and sensitive to changes over time.

For some more details on this article follow the above mentioned link to the right.. ; )

Hope for the future of MS stem cell research

“Bone Marrow Stem Cells Show Exciting Potential For Multiple Sclerosis Treatment” is the title of the article published on May 6^th on the Medical News Today website (see link to the right under “Links”).

The article mentions that a groundbreaking trial, which aimed at testing bone marrow stem cell therapy with a small group of people with MS, shows how it has possible benefits for the treatment of MS. The purpose of the trial was to discover what kind of effects, be it good or bad, bone marrow stem cells has on MS patients, and their disability. In several experimental studies done previously, this stem cell therapy has been shown to have beneficial effects in disease models of MS.

(…)

“Research into the underlying mechanisms is ongoing and vital, in order to build on these results. We believe that stem cells mobilised from the marrow to the blood are responsible, and that they help improve disease in several ways, including neuroprotection and immune modulation.”

The next day (May 7th 2010) an article mentions that guidelines regarding stem cells and MS have been made.

Researchers have agreed that stem cells are likely to have a significant role to play in the treatment of MS, but also warn that expectations should be realistic. Professor Gianvito Martino said: “At this stage it is unreasonable to claim that stem cells are a magic cure for MS. It is, however, likely that they will one day play an important role in treating the condition.”

Which is why the booklet with guidelines was created and I think it is a great source of information regarding stem cells and how it works for MS in particular ; ). It is a public information booklet created in partnership by MS Societies from the UK, USA, Italy, France and Australia and the MSIF summarises the guidelines for people affected by MS: “Stem Cell Therapies in MS”.

I think this is a great research is a great step forward : o )

PML (Tysabri) update – May/17/2010!!!!

From the NationalMSSociety.org website (news updated today – May 17th 2010)

As of May 6th 2010, information released by Biogen Idec reports a total of 49 confirmed cases of PML (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) among people on Tysabri® (natalizumab) since July 2006, when it became available for prescription.

The risk of developing PML stays the same, that is, it increases with the number of Tysabri infusions received. However, the clinical benefits of Tysabri still continue to outweigh the potential risks.

As of the end of March 2010, 67,700 people worldwide have used Tysabri since it was marketed. Although the absolute risk for PML in patients treated with Tysabri cannot be precisely determined, the U.S. FDA and the sponsor have released data suggesting that the risk increases with increasing time on therapy, starting out lower than the one-in-one thousand level that was estimated at the time of Tysabri’s re-approval in 2006, and rising after two years of infusions to about one in one thousand. (….) There is insufficient information to determine the risk of PML in those who have been on therapy for three years or more.

The following paragraphs below are directly quoted from the website mentioned above as I thought they are easy to understand and rather important and wouldn’t want to leave something out by mistake.

Signs of PML: Typical symptoms associated with PML progress quickly over days to weeks, and can include:
• personality or behavioral changes
• changes in thinking, memory, and orientation leading to confusion
• onset of seizures, clumsiness or progressive weakness on one side of the body
• disturbances of vision

If individuals taking Tysabri experience new, unusual symptoms, they should contact their prescribing physician immediately. Physicians who need guidelines on the protocol to follow when they have a patient on Tysabri who experiences unusual symptoms should contact Biogen Idec.

Additional Details: According to the company, as of May 6, 2010 there have been 49 confirmed cases of PML, occurring in both men and women who had been given infusions of Tysabri every four weeks for a duration ranging from one year to three and a half years, with an average of two years.

• 27 of the cases occurred in Europe, 19 in the United States, and 3 in the rest of the world.

• Approximately one-fourth of those who have developed PML have died.

• The degree of disability in the survivors is a wide spectrum: at the milder end, some have recovered enough to return to work, and at the other extreme, some are confined to bed, requiring extensive assistance with activities of daily living, and others were in between this range.

• Based on these cases, the sponsor stressed that, contrary to prior information, the presence of gadolinium-enhancing lesions on MRI does not exclude the possibility of PML. Likewise, the absence of JC virus DNA in the spinal fluid does not exclude PML.

• There has been no characteristic among those who have developed PML that would give substantial clues to who might be more likely to develop it, except that half of the cases had prior histories of having been on immunosuppresive therapies, such as mitoxantrone, and less commonly, azathioprine and methotrexate.

• Right now there is no test that can predict who is more likely at risk for developing PML while using Tysabri; in a large company-sponsored study, testing of blood cells, plasma, serum and urine for the causative JC virus in people before and after 48 weeks of Tysabri therapy (Rudick et al, ECTRIMS 2009) did not show any differences in the presence of the virus in those fluids. The results of these studies, performed at the U.S. National Instituties of Health, differ somewhat from an earlier study (N. Engl. J. Med. 361:1067, 2009) suggesting higher virus levels after treatment.

• When PML was suspected, Tysabri infusions were halted. There is no specific therapy to treat PML, but the best hope is to reconstitute a person’s immune responses. In most of the cases, once PML was confirmed, Tysabri was removed from their systems with the blood-cleansing treatments of either plasma exchange or immunoadsorption.

• During the aftermath of PML, as the immune system begins to recover, a condition called IRIS (immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome) usually occurs about 4 weeks after the removal of Tysabri from the system. The sponsors suggested that some of the treating physicians found that prompt use of intravenous steroids to treat this brain inflammation led to improvement.

“Important control mechanism behind autoimmune diseases discovered”

I am sorry but I have been busy and thus late in my updates. Nevertheless I aim at posting everything I’ve read that I deemed relevant and interesting. The following is from an article (dated 05 May 2010 – Medical News Today).

Swedish researchers have discovered a new control mechanism in our immune system. This discovery might have be of great significance for the treatment of serious diseases such as MS, rheumatoid arthritis, and SLE (Systemic lupus erythematosus).

Mikael Karlsson, associate professor at the Department of Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Solna states: ”now that we’ve started to understand the regulatory mechanisms involved in these autoimmune diseases, we are hopeful that new treatments can be found“.

An important component of our immune defense is a type of cell called a B cell. Normally, the job of these cells is to produce antibodies, which in turn bind to and neutralise invasive microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses. In people with an autoimmune disease, explains Dr Karlsson, these B cells actually have an injurious effect and instead of serving the body, are activated against its own tissues, which they start to break down.

What this research has demonstrated is that NKT cells can regulate how B cells become activated against healthy tissue, and also that a lack of NKT cells results in greater misguided B cell activation… Thus researchers claim they can now actually mechanically link the NKT cell defect in patients to the disease.

The study also shows that the NKT cells directly impede faulty B cell activation, and that they do so early in the misdirected process. The team managed to inhibit the activity of pathogenic B cells by adding NKT cells – a result that may one day lead to new types of treatment.

This simply opens the opportunity for the development of new treatments for MS (and the other diseases mentioned above) specifically targeted at the protective NKT cells.

Detecting MS in the blood… leading to a cure..!?!?!

I haven’t have the time to update the blog recently..sorry for that but I will make sure to update all things I’ve so far read and found relevant. Here is one of them. I’ll bring up the main things stated in the article (for more info check the link to the right)

(From Medical News Today – article dated 03 May 2010)

A breakthrough finding from a Tel Aviv University scientist and physician promises to lead to earlier diagnosis, more effective intervention, and perhaps even a cure MS!

This finding might provide clues for early intervention. If doctors can predict the onset of MS early enough, intervention therapies using immunomodulatory drugs such as Copaxone or beta-interferon drugs that stave off MS symptoms, might be used.

….

These early genetic markers may now be used to test for multiple sclerosis up to nine years before healthy young adults start developing symptoms. And because MS is thought to have a genetic component and a tendency to be found in siblings, Prof. Achiron says the biomarkers can be used as a tool for brothers and sisters of patients.

When Prof. Achiron was aksed why test in advance of a cure he replied: “the idea is that we’ll know more about the genetics of MS through this new discovery, with the hope that early intervention therapies may be more effective, and help advance medicine toward a cure” .

…

This new insight into who will develop MS in the future is a first on the path of finding a cure to the disease.

Link between MS brain atrophy, cognitive function & low vitamin D levels

It has long been known that lower-than-normal vitamin D levels were associated with a greater risk of developing MS…but little is known about its relationship to cognitive impairment. The study mentioned on May 3^rd 2010, in Medical News Today, links low vitamin D levels to not only a more advanced physical disability but also cognitive impairment in people with MS.

In sum, the results of the study showed, among other things…:

• Clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images show low blood levels of total vitamin D and certain active vitamin D byproducts are associated with increased disability, brain atrophy and brain lesion load in MS patients.
• A potential association exists between cognitive impairment in MS patients and low vitamin D levels.

… And also that only 7% of people with secondary progressive MS showed sufficient vitamin D (compared to 18.3% of patients with the less severe relapsing-remitting type).

“Results showed that MS patients who were impaired on tests of executive function — critical reasoning and abstract thinking — and the ability to plan and organize, were more likely to be deficient in vitamin D”… “This relationship held true when controlling for the season during which vitamin D was measured, as well as depression, which is known to be associated with lower vitamin D levels.” Morrow noted there also was a suggestion that verbal fluency (word generation) and visual-spatial memory (learning and memory of shapes and figures) is more likely to be affected when vitamin D levels are not sufficient.

(see under “links” to the right for more details on the study)

Alemtuzumab & MS

A few days ago (April 15^th 2010), Medical News Today reported on the use of Alemtuzumab for the treatment of MS. The research in question reported that a significant percentage of MS patients who received Alemtuzumab remained free of clinically-active disease.

More precisely, 71% of the patients treated with alemtuzumab remain free of clinically-active disease as much as three years after most patients received their last course of the investigational compound. The data were presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

This trial was compared Alemtuzumab to Rebif® (interferon beta-1a) in patients with early, active, and relapsing-remitting MS, who had received no prior therapy. For the details of the trial and more on the results visit the Medical News Today website link to the right ; )

What I think is important to highlight from this trial is that researchers believe Alemtuzumab to target the immune system cells responsible for the cellular damage (found in multiple sclerosis), while sparing other immune system elements.

Groundbreaking MS research to be announced April 10-17th

From the Medical News Today website (article dated April 14th 2010, see under Links to the right)

At the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual meeting, among other things, a potential new drug for the treatment of MS, and surprising trends showing a reduction in the disease’s severity…

Teriflunomide, is an investigational oral medication for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)… The study analyzed teriflunomide added to ongoing treatment with glatiramer acetate, a currently prescribed medication, and determined that teriflunomide was safe and effective as part of combination therapy.

And most important of all:

MRI studies revealed that teriflunomide also proved to be effective at reducing the size and volume of lesions on the brain.

“While our study was designed to evaluate the safety of teriflunomide, we determined that in addition to being safe it was also effective in reducing the size and number of lesions in people with RRMS,” said Aaron Miller, MD, Professor of Neurology, and Medical Director of the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

“Further data are required to evaluate efficacy of this combination therapy, but the results are promising.”

One can just comment…that it really sounds like the data is promising! if this drug manages to REDUCE the size AND volume of lesions on the brain…wow!

Involuntary laughing or crying? – PBA & MS

Ever started laughing uncontrollably and for no reason?? It happened to me just a few weeks ago…I simply couldn’t stop…and now I just read an article in Medical News Today (14.04.2010) that talks about PBA – the pseudobulbar affect. Here, I gathered the most relevant things from the article:

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a neurologic condition of involuntary, sudden and frequent episodes of laughing or crying and is quite common in patients with underlying neurologic diseases or injuries, especially those with multiple sclerosis (MS) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A novel investigational treatment may help stop these involuntary outbursts, which might damage the MSers or ALSers social functioning and overall quality of life..

The study in patients diagnosed with PBA tested the effectiveness of a combination of two medications, dextromethorphan and low dose quinidine. The combination of the drugs is known as DMQ.

The study demonstrated improvements in the patients tested. The study’s author MD. PhD Pioro said that the findings “represent the first long-term results showing DMQ is effective in helping to control this debilitating condition afflicting patients with neurologic diseases or injuries“.

In addition, there are no FDA approved treatments for PBA. This makes it problematic for PBA affected patients as the currently used off-label treatments are often ineffective or may have unacceptable side-effects.

DNA blood tests to predict & monitor MS

On September 5th 2009 I reported about a test that could potentially not only predict the course of MS but also indicate who is likely to develop the condition after a first MS-like attack.

This article here (Medical News Today April 8th) talks about DNA blood tests that would predict the status & monitor disease activity and even the response to treatment in MS.

Chronix Biomedical uses proprietary technology to identify disease-specific genetic fingerprints based on the circulating DNA that is released into the bloodstream by damaged and dying cells. A growing body of publications from Chronix and other researchers shows that this circulating DNA can be identified and analyzed to provide a diagnostic window into ongoing changes in the genome associated with specific diseases-changes that can be used to track the presence or absence of active disease. This new study is the first to show that the Chronix approach can be used to monitor the clinical status of a chronic disease.

“These positive data further validate the premise underlying the Chronix approach, showing that the many genetic anomalies associated with active and stable relapsing-remitting MS can be detected by analyzing DNA fragments circulating in the blood serum,” said Mario Clerici, M.D., Chair of Immunology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, University of Milano, Milan, Italy and a co-author of the study. “The prognostic value achieved in this study supports the ability of this new approach to help manage relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, potentially offering clinicians a new tool to easily assess which MS treatment options are most effective for their patients, as well as providing critical information that will facilitate development of the next generation of MS therapeutics”

Smoking & MS

On April 8th, Medical News Today reported (yet again) on a link between smoking & MS.. This new study shows that smoking may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis in people who also have specific established risk factors for MS.

….

The study also found that among those with high levels of the Epstein-Barr virus antibodies, smokers were twice as likely to have MS as those who had never smoked. The same association was not seen in those with low antibody levels. The risk of MS associated with smoking was not different in people with and without the HLA-DR15 gene.

The study’s author Claire Simon, ScD, with Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said that “the consistency of an association between MS, smoking and the body’s immune response to the Epstein-Barr virus based on these three distinct, geographically diverse studies suggests this finding is not due to chance.” In this way, reasons so as to why some people develop MS and others not may be apparent.

For the whole study, click on the Medical News Today link on the right ; )

Ampyra – dalfampridine – finally available! :)

In a previous post (January 27th 2010) titled “Ampyra – improves walking speed for MS patients!” I talked about the speedy approval that the FDA had given to dalfampridine. Dalfampridine is the first therapy for multiple sclerosis that can be taken orally (!!!!). It is also the first FDA-approved therapy to treat impaired walking, a debilitating symptom of the disease limiting patients’ independence and ability to accomplish the most basic tasks of daily living. While other multiple sclerosis drugs work by decreasing the inflammation that causes damage to the central nervous system, dalfampridine is designed to allow conduction of nerve impulses despite the damage.

The following paragraphs are taken from Medical News Today (April 6th, 2010). I am quoting them as I think they are well written and rather interesting as they give a short background story of the research including why this research is different from previous ones..:

Research that led to the discovery of dalfampridine’s therapeutic value dates back to the 1960s, when Dr. Floyd Davis, then a neurologist in training and later a physician at Rush, became intrigued by an unusual clinical observation: many multiple sclerosis patients fare better when their body temperature is slightly lowered, even by just two- or three-tenths of a degree.

“In multiple sclerosis, the protective myelin sheath that wraps around nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord is damaged, essentially causing a short circuit,” said Davis, who is now retired. “Somehow, lower body temperature enabled the electrical pulse to continue its travel along the nerve fibers. I was completely transfixed by the significance of that fact.”

It was important because it showed “that the damaged nerve fibers were not doomed, as previously believed,” said Dr. Dusan Stefoski, director of the Rush Multiple Sclerosis Center, who teamed up with Davis in 1978, shortly after completing neurology training at Rush.

It makes sense to me now why heat isn’t a friend of mine anymore (and of many other MSers)…at least now there is some sort of connection/proof for it ; ) Also, I think the fact that the damaged nerve fibres are here no longer seen as irreversibly damaged creates a huge hope in all of us!

The drug is now available in the US! Hopefully it will soon come to Europe as well.

Reminder: throughout the various trials the drug yielded a consistent improvement in walking speed & the study participants who took the drug also experienced greater leg strength than those who took a placebo. One of the Doctors that teamed in the study, Dr. Stefoski, said that although the drug has been approved specifically for the treatment of impaired walking, it also relieves other symptoms of multiple sclerosis, since it restores signal conduction in all the affected nerve fibers. (!!!!)

For more details on the study see under “Links” to the right and click on “Medical News Today”.

Two types of MS = Two different responses to Beta-Interferon

Medical News Today (article first reported on March 29th)

The article in question mentions a Stanford study – the discovery of two types of MS, which are based on the two different responses that patients have to beta-interferon.

The study was conducted on both animal (animal model of MS – called experimental autoimmune encephalitis -EAE) and human blood samples. The patient’s responsiveness to interferon beta (the first-line drug given to MS patients) was seen as depending on the version of MS that the patient has.

These findings need to be confirmed in larger human studies and by other laboratories, and when that is done this would mean that MS patients some day might be able to take a simple blood test to see whether they are likely to respond to treatment with the standard multiple-sclerosis therapy, said senior study author Lawrence Steinman, MD, the George A. Zimmerman Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He also added: “I think this has the potential to transform the way we take care of people with multiple sclerosis.” He said a simple, already available blood test could spare many patients the inconvenience and side effects – and spare the health-care system the expense – of a drug that most likely won’t do any good. “The other side of the coin is that beta-interferon, if it’s given only to those who are predisposed to respond to it, could turn out to be a far better drug than we ever imagined.”

Beta-interferon’s overall efficacy is only fair, he said, with perhaps half of all multiple-sclerosis patients experiencing an average one-third reduction in recurrences. Plus, its discomfiting side effects – flulike symptoms – can make compliance an issue for patients, especially given the drug’s iffy efficacy.

And just a final note: earlier work by Steinman, proceeding from animal models to clinical trials, led to the development of another blockbuster multiple-sclerosis drug, natalizumab, marketed under the trade name Tysabri (the treatment I’m currently on and so grateful for).

Sativex – Cannabis & MS

According to a report from Reuters, Sativex® is to receive approval in the UK track for multiple sclerosis in Q2 this year!

Regulators had concluded there weren’t any major quality, safety or efficacy issues still to be resolved.  Discussions are now focusing on points of clarification related to the patient information leaflet.  Sativex will be marketed by Bayer in the UK and by the Spanish Almirall in the rest of Europe. Following approval in the UK and Spain, submissions for approval will be then made in additional European countries during 2010 under the mutual recognition procedure.

Sativex is an oral spray containing a cannabis extract and has shown to alleviate symptoms of spasticity and pain for MS patients.

Time of birth, exposure to sun, and age at onset of MS

Yesterday I read about this study in Neuroepidemiology (dated: 18.03.2010) and I thought I’d mention it here. The research in question is yet another one that “links the sun to MS” ; )

The authors of this study assessed the effects of time and place of birth on the age at onset of MS symptoms. The results point to the link between exposure to the sun (and thereby to vitamin D) and MS. Their findings suggest that patients with a relapsing form of MS, who were born in winter and whose birthplace was in low solar radiation areas, had disease symptom onset on average 2.8 years earlier than those born in seasons other than winter and in medium- and high-solar radiation areas. They conclude that early life exposure to geographical and seasonal factors, which are probably related to the protective effect of sunlight (and hereby vitamin D), is associated with a delay in MS symptom onset.

They finalize by stressing that other larger studies are necessary in order to examine the period-specific (from conception to adulthood) environmental factors that are associated with MS susceptibility.

A possible onset mechanism for MS discovered

Here you can read about yet another research towards understanding the complex disease that MS is : o)

Medical News Today, March 1st 2010:

A group of researchers from the Catholic University of Rome, led by Francesco Ria & Giovanni Delogu, have explained for the first time how a  non-pathogenic bacterium is capable of triggering an autoimmune disease similar to multiple sclerosis in the mouse (…).

Their research is based on the “autoimmune hypothesis”. This hypothesis states that a viral or bacterial pathogen similar to specific molecules of the Central Nervous System causes an inflammation which provokes a reaction of the immune system. This reaction ends up destroying the brain cells.

What their research has demonstrated is that in an animal model it is possible to be infected with something not carrying any disease, and later on develop a purely autoimmune disease.

The hope still remains to defeat MS! The researchers say they could even imagine to develop a vaccine by which we could prevent the immune response associated to multiple sclerosis.

(for more details on how the research was done visit the Medical News Today link to the right ; )

MSers: Protect your brain from MS – with exercise!!

“For a long time, MS patients were told not to exercise because there was a fear it could exacerbate their symptoms. But we’re finding that if MS patients exercise in a controlled setting, it can actually help them with their cognitive function.”

Yes, it seems that exercise is also good for us MSers! As you can guess from the above, new findings reveal that MS patients who exercise a lot perform better on tests of cognitive function than the less-fit MS patients! Here are the main takeouts from the article…

“We found that aerobic fitness has a protective effect on parts of the brain that are most affected by multiple sclerosis,” said Ruchika Shaurya Prakash, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

“As a result, these fitter patients actually show better performance on tasks that measure processing speed.”

“Physically fit MS patients had fewer lesions compared to those who weren’t as fit and the lesions they did have tended to be smaller,” Prakash said. “This is significant and can help explain why the higher-fit patients did better on tests of brain functioning.”

Aerobic fitness was also associated with less-damaged brain tissue in MS patients, both the gray matter and white matter!

….

The study found that fitness in MS patients was associated with larger volume of gray matter, accounting for about 20 percent of the volume in gray matter. That’s important, Prakash said, because gray matter is linked to brain processing skills.

“Even in gray matter that appeared relatively healthy, we found a deterioration in the volume in MS patients,” she said. “But for some of the highest fit MS patients, we found that their gray matter volume was nearly equivalent to that of healthy controls.”

In sum, all of the three MRI tests conducted in this study showed that parts of the brain involved in processing speed are all negatively affected by MS but less so in patients who are aerobically fit.

Other researchers have also found that exercise promotes the production of nerve growth factors, proteins which are important for the growth and maintenance of neurons in the brain.

“Our hypothesis is that aerobic exercise enhances these nerve growth factors in MS patients, which increases the volume of the gray matter and increases the integrity of the white matter,” Prakash said. “As a result there is an improvement in cognitive function.”

Prakash and her colleagues plan to extend this research by studying whether exercise interventions with MS patients can actually improve their cognition and have positive physical effects on the brain.

Details on how the study was conducted can be accessed through the Medical News Today website – the link can be found on the right.

(article dated February 19th 2010)

Preliminary CCSVI Results Announced!

We have all been waiting for this… : )

The newest CCSVI findings were briefly mentioned on February 11th (Medical News Today site : ) and in more detail (on the same site) on February 12th.

The preliminary results of CCSVI testing have been announced. The results are optimistic..but to me these were rather surprising as I thought all MS patients had the predisposition to CCSVI… no worries..this is just the initial phase, more research is to be done to determine the importance of CCSVI for MS.

Here is a highlight from the preliminary results:

More than 55 percent of multiple sclerosis patients participating in the initial phase of the first randomized clinical study to determine if persons with MS exhibit narrowing of the extracranial veins, causing restriction of normal outflow of blood from the brain, were found to have the abnormality.

I believe this to be the most important part of the article.. for more details visit the Medical News Today link to the right ; )

I will bring up the links to my previous postings related to CCSVI here again…from news to history of CCSVI:

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/ccsvi-in-ms-new-findings-in-the-field/

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/ccsvi-discovery-a-brief-story-of-its-background/

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/ccsvi-more-info/

A (maybe more understandable & detailed) description of CCSVI: http://sofija.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/ccsvi-yet-another-article/

Cheers!

Potentially new MS treatment – blocking cell movement

Today, the Medical News Today site published an article on yet another discovery in the field of MS research. This research connects autoimmune diseases, such as MS, and cancer. I had previously mentioned this relation on this blog (see for instance here ).

In the research I am mentioning they have found new ways to block the movement of cells in the body, which can cause autoimmune diseases and the spread of cancer. The researchers have identified molecular “receptors” on the surface of cells which are involved in helping cells migrate to sites where they can cause disease.

“A number of diseases like cancer and autoimmune diseases, such as MS and arthritis, involve the inappropriate migration of cells,” says Professor McColl. “Our research shows that these receptors which help the cells migrate can be blocked pharmacologically, preventing the cell migration which causes the disease.”

Based on this knowledge, a number of such receptors in MS has been identified, and researchers have developed potential therapeutic drugs that could control this disease, among other autoimmune diseases.

This is definitely more exciting news in the area of MS research! : ) It is always so nice to read that MS research is constantly being done and that new drugs are being developed which are able to improve the quality of life for us MSers.

You may lower your baby’s risk of MS by drinking milk while pregnant

From Medical News Today (dated February 10th 2010)

Here is more news on the relation of vitamin D and MS…I have decided to quote just a part of this article here:

“The risk of MS among daughters whose mothers consumed four glasses of milk per day was 56 percent lower than daughters whose mothers consumed less than three glasses of milk per month,” said Fariba Mirzaei, MD, with the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. “We also found the risk of MS among daughters whose mothers were in the top 20 percent of vitamin D intake during pregnancy was 45 percent lower than daughters whose mothers were in the bottom 20 percent for vitamin D intake during pregnancy.”

For the entire article visit the medical news today link to the right ; )

Ampyra – improves walking speed for MS patients!

Ampyra has been covered in a couple of articles on the Medical News Today website this month. I first mentioned it in this blog in February 2009 (see: Ampyra). Here, I highlight the most important updated information.

Patients treated with Ampyra had faster walking speeds than those treated with an inactive pill (placebo). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ampyra (dalfampridine) extended release tablets to improve walking in patients with MS. This is the first drug approved for this use.

As of January 25th (only 2 days after the previous news was published) the statement goes:

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug fampridine-SR for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

In addition, on the same date: Elan Drug Technologies, a business unit of Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of AMPYRA™ (dalfampridine) as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. AMPYRA™ will be marketed in the U.S. by Acorda Therapeutics.

As of today (Jan. 26th.10) the firm has applied for a license to make the drug available in the UK.

Progressing quickly ; ) (one wishes they reacted as fast to the CCSVI news too hu? : p )

cheers!

PML – Tysabri – better management

Just brief information update (from Medical News Today) regarding PML/Tysabri management measures..

European Medicines Agency Recommends Additional Measures To Better Manage Risk Of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) With Tysabri

January 22nd 2010

The European Medicines Agency has finalised a review of  Tysabri (Natalizumab) and the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain infection caused by the JC virus. The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the risk of developing PML increases after two years of use of Tysabri although this risk remains low. However, the benefits of the medicine continue to outweigh its risks for patients with highly active relapsing-remitting MS, for whom there are few treatment options available.

The new measures were then mentioned in the above article but also in the following one four days later (see towards the end):

European Drugs Watchdog Finds Benefits Of Tysabri Continue To Outweigh Risks

January 26th 2010

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has finalised a review of Tysabri (Natalizumab) and the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare brain infection caused by the JC virus.

The Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the risk of developing PML increases after two years of use of Tysabri although this risk remains low.

It also stated, however, that the benefits of the medicine continue to outweigh its risks for patients with highly active relapsing-remitting MS, for whom there are few treatment options available.

As a result of the review, the Committee recommended a number of measures be put in place to ensure that patients and doctors are fully aware of the risks of PML.

These include:

– an update of the product information to add information about the increase in the risk of PML after two years of treatment and additional advice on how to manage patients who show signs of PML;

- forms to be signed by patients at the beginning of treatment with Tysabri, and again after two years of treatment, after in-depth discussions about the risk of PML with their doctor.

Tablets instead of unpleasant injections – soon!!!

Wow I was offline for three days and so much has happened…it is so difficult to keep pace with the news in the MS field : ) but that can just be a good thing ; )

I’ll start in chronological order… thus the first thing here is the reconfirmation of the ‘near-future’ treatment with pills for MS patients. The article in Medical News Today (dated 21.01.10) is entitled: “Pills To Treat MS Could Be Round The Corner” : The studies suggest that the oral therapies, potentially the first of their kind for relapsing remitting MS, are at least as effective as current drugs on the market and could be available as early as next year.

Another article from the same source (and same date) further mentions disease’s relapse reduction & progression from the use of Cladribine (previously mentioned in my blog… latest on January 21st this year and with the whole timeline published on December 1st 2009). The newest article further reaffirms the drug’s previously mentioned benefits whereas it claims that it in addition “goes a long way to eliminating the unpleasent side effects associated with existing therapies”

…. “Cladribine promises to be the first ever treatment in tablet form for MS, and only needs be taken for between 8-10 days a year, eliminating the need for regular injections and intravenous infusions otherwise endured by sufferers. The ease which Cladribine tablets can be administered, combined with its relatively few side effects, make it a hugely exciting development in the world of MS.

On January 23rd 2010 the 2-year results from the CLARITY study with Cladribine tablets for MS were published in the NEw England Journal of Medicine: CLARITY Study

There is definitely SO MUCH to look forward in the coming year!!!

Stay positive!! ; o )

Cladribine & Fingolimod – available in 2011!

I just read today (on the bbc website) the most recent news on the promising oral treatments coming out..Cladribine & Fingolimod… they could be available as soon as 2011 following successful results in two trials (the relapse rates are cut by 50-60% over two years!), and drug licenses have just been filed!

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, both Cladribine & Fingolimod trials involved 1,000 people in over 18 countries.

In case you are interested in more information, I am providing the following link, which contains the Cladribine news ‘timeline’ (includes links to Cladribine & Fingolimod news that I’ve covered): http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/cladribine-news-timeline/

never give up hope!! : o )

CCSVI – yet another article

I know I have already written about CCSVI a couple of times but I’ve just found another link to information about CCSVI…the Chief Medical Officer at the MS Association of America has written a rather concise and clear article on CCSVI which might help those of you who are still somewhat confused about this (not so new) theory/treatment… I say ‘not so new’ because of my previous findings related to the work of a Danish professor (Torben Fog) which addressed this notion already back in 1965…(link: Fog’s study ). : o )

But anyways, here is the article I just stumbled upon:

http://msassociation.org/news_center/article.asp?a=ccsvi

A CCSVI success story…

Here is a CCSVI success story from the UK…an MS patient who had to travel to the US to get the famous operation put forward by dr. Zamboni..and it seems to have helped her…you can read it here:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/01/17/have-doctors-found-a-cure-for-ms-115875-21973347/

for more information on CCSVI you can follow the links to my previous posts regarding the topic:

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/10/06/ccsvi-in-ms-new-findings-in-the-field/

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/ccsvi-discovery-a-brief-story-of-its-background/

http://sofija.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/ccsvi-more-info/